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A group of Architectural Engineering students recently visited the V&A Dundee for a behind-the-scenes tour of this prize-winning building and the technologies used to control and moderate its internal environments.
The V&A Dundee is the first V&A museum outside London and the only dedicated design museum in Scotland.
Designed by world-renowned Japanese architect, Kengo Kuma, the museum, with its unique and complex twisting walls, sits at the centre of the billion-pound transformation of Dundee's waterfront. Inspired by the dramatic cliffs of the east coast of Scotland, the building reaches out into the River Tay, reconnecting the city with its historic riverside.
Project engineers, Arup, gave students valuable insight into their low energy design approach that not only ensures healthy and comfortable spaces for the museum's many visitors, but also provides optimal conditions for the preservation of the museum's important exhibits.
Designed to minimise overall energy consumption, the building makes use of natural ventilation and daylight within the main public entrance space and uses both ground and air source heat pumps to provide renewable energy to the building.
Dr David Kelly, the Course Leader, said: “This was a fascinating tour of one of Scotland's newest and most iconic buildings.
"Hearing about the design challenges that the engineers faced, and being able to see the low energy solutions used in a building of this size and scale was hugely informative for our students who are currently embarking on their own design concepts for the 4th Year Design Project. Our close links with industry means that our Architectural Engineering students benefit by learning from real projects and working closely with their industry mentors.”
For more information about our Architectural Engineering programme, click here.